AgriFood Success: The Naked Honey Pot

An important growth industry for New Zealand, AgriFood businesses span the entire value chain from the farm to the table.

The importance of a thriving agricultural industry is hugely significant, directly accounting for 4% of our GDP, with primary industries contributing to just over half of NZs total export earnings.1 Innovation is a key driver of agribusiness success in New Zealand, with significant Government investment in agricultural research and technology supporting ambitious growth for the sector.

ASB is committed to doing everything we can to help Kiwi farmers and agribusiness owners stay one step ahead through success that is sustainable – socially, environmentally and financially. As proud sponsors of the 2017 AgriFood Investment Week, we’re looking forward to helping foster discussion, collaboration and success for New Zealand agribusinesses across the board.

While technological innovation tends to make headlines, the way that products are presented in the market also makes a big difference. We spoke with Gareth and Diana Moyle, owners of The Naked Honey Pot about their shift from bulk honey supply to creating a boutique brand of unique NZ honey products. They tell their story of getting started and the challenges they face as they move forward.

Getting started

The Naked Honey Pot is small business supplying pure natural honey sourced from remote areas of NZ. Concentrating on quality and being proud of what they put into the jar, Gareth and Diana started as a small unknown brand at the local Farmers Market and quickly developed a local and now national following.

After 25 years in the Telecommunications industry, the opportunity to get into the honey business came from Gareth’s father in law, a retired farmer who had purchased a few hives to try something different. After it turned out beekeeping wasn’t his thing, Gareth and Diana decided to go for it.

With returns not being ideal from bulk honey supply, the idea to market their own brand of honey was the next step. The Naked Honey Pot, as well as being a catchy name, also speaks to what the product stands for – high quality, pure and as natural as honey can be.

We all know about Manuka but…

Their aim is to supply honey that’s not readily available. Manuka honey may be the star child of the industry but there are other under-appreciated honeys with similar qualities such as their best-selling Rewarewa product. Focussing on these relatively unknown varieties is one way they set themselves apart.

Interestingly, there hasn’t always been a huge demand for Manuka honey. It was often left on hives as bee feed once upon a time… Since the launch of the UMF Honey Association, NZ honey is now recognized all over the world and continues to rise in popularity, creating an ideal environment for growth in their business.

After 6 years marketing and selling their products, they are looking to expand their product range. With machinery no longer fitting their size, they are looking at ways of expanding, as well as ways to diversity the product range and become more well-known across the industry.

With this growth come challenges. Although they comply with all national standards, they now sit in an awkward space where they are too big to be a small provider and not big enough to compete with the bigger players. Innovation is hugely important to how the industry develops and how they will continue to operate as a business. Becoming web based, and using social media to drive reach outside of their local following has been one way that the business can grow its market share, and reach new audiences for their products. While it’s important for Gareth to grow a national taste for his products, the local connection is still hugely important - keeping their loyal followers happy is the priority.